Vendor lock-in is when a customer is dependent on a certain product and can’t switch. This is rampant in the software industry, across desktops and mobile devices alike. As we conduct more of our lives on computers, this leads to real restrictions on our freedoms.

Vendor lock-in isn’t always obvious. Sometimes you aren’t aware until you’re in too deep. Many of us recognize vendor lock-in on desktops, but what’s it like on phones?

Let’s take a look at how this practice takes shape on PCs, mobile devices, and in the web. Then we can decide what we’re going to do about it.

On Desktops

PCs involve many players, but two main ones: there are the companies that make operating systems, and then there are those that offer software on top. Both have incentives to lock you in, but they go about doing so in different ways.

Let’s start with Windows. Not too long ago, it wouldn’t be too big a stretch to assume everyone you knew also used this OS. You can argue that this is because Windows is the best thing out there, but even if it were, it’s not that much better. So what gives?

Microsoft has long used vendor lock-in to grow and maintain its customer base. The company encourages people to use Windows by enticing them and making it hard to switch away.

The U.S. Department of Justice and the European Union have each taken Microsoft to court for bundling certain software with Windows. They argued that this discouraged people from checking out other products — but both cases resulted in minor changes that did little to eliminate the overall practice.

The Justice Department investigation found a strategy of “embrace, extend, and extinguish“. This tactic worked against browsers, instant messengers, and development tools alike.

Many third-party software vendors try to lock you in as well. Once you’ve grown dependent on using a certain application for managing projects, designing a building, or logging employee hours, you’re unlikely to switch to another program if you can’t take your data with you. Companies can then increase prices over time, confident that most customers will have no choice but to continue paying.

On Cloud Services

Cloud services free us from being dependent on specific devices. The catch? We’re trading one master for another. A cloud service stops being useful the second our internet connection dies — and that’s only the beginning.

When we shift data from our own computers to the cloud, we give someone else ownership over those files. Whoever maintains those remote servers gains control over our information. That means they decide when we can access our own data and what we can do with it.

Since many cloud services don’t let us export data, this is an even more extreme form of vendor lock-in. Not only is it difficult to to transfer data between services — it often isn’t even possible. Plus we have no guarantees that what we’re currently using will be available tomorrow.

Remember Copy? It was a Dropbox alternative that shut down earlier this year. Despite that, the makers are still trying to sell you on adopting another cloud service.

On Mobile Devices

Smartphone apps occupy the space between traditional desktop software and cloud services — and many are even cloud services packaged in a more convenient form. Either way, they stop being useful the moment your phone starts roaming.

But even when apps work offline, you can lose that software if you switch phone ecosystems. This keeps many iPhone owners from switching to Android, and the other way around.

How to Avoid Vendor Lock-In

Once you’re locked in, there’s nothing you can do to easily free yourself. The process is going to take a bit of your time. It may even cost you money. But your eyes are open now, and you know you don’t want this to happen again. What can you do?

Before investing in a new app or service, check to see if you can export your data. After that, confirm if alternatives exist. Have a backup plan in case an application goes away or heads in an undesirable direction.

Don’t Let Vendor Lock-In Keep You Down

Avoiding vendor lock-in means doing without certain applications or services, but you can adjust. Once you do, you will have more control over your computing.

What vendors or products would you say are especially guilty of vendor lock-in? What alternatives did you find? What tips can you share from the experience? Others are waiting to learn from you in the comments below!

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Dave Clark

November 28, 2016 at 2:23 am

Is it lock-in when no alternatives measure up? In other words, is it lock-in when you have to use and/or pay for the "house" software because the alternatives jut don't do it for you? I'll use Irfanview and CCleaner all day, but when it comes to office software, I find fewer teeth-clenching moments with Microsoft than the free alternatives. That's not to say that I'm all-kinds-of-thrilled with any software shoved down my throat for any reason, and Microsoft Office does get psycho at times. As soon as I find a free alternative to office software that works for me, buh-bye Bill Gates.

Android is at least technically an open system, in that its underpinned by the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which is completely free to use. Amazon is an alternative provider for a high quality App Marketplace for AOSP devices.

Another area that doesn't get much attention on PCs is gaming. I don't like Steam, but I know a lot of gamers who won't buy or run a title unless it's distributed that way. Too much of PC gaming at this point relies on the goodwill and continued operation of Valve and I don't think that's OK, especially when there's no workable non-Valve option to access one's purchases. To be shut out of that service is almost to be removed from PC gaming. There are other options, but they're either vendor specific or nearly afterthoughts when compared to the giant in that space. This is almost tragic, especially since gamers willingly gave up the freedom they had prior to the release of Steam as a service.

You're right. I'm not much of a PC gamer these days, and this is one reason I don't get back into it. I don't feel comfortable stockpiling a bunch of games that I don't actually own. And as a Linux user, there are even fewer alternative options.

Bertel is an RVA-based writer who has covered consumer tech for over five years. With a BA in History and Government from the College of William and Mary, he is as comfortable helping others understand digital rights and policy as he is reviewing apps.